Patterned silicon-on-insulator layers and methods for forming the same

1. A method of forming a silicon-on-insulator (SOl) layer comprising: providing a silicon substrate; before implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen, forming patterned oxide regions on the silicon substrate; growing a first epitaxial layer of silicon on an exposed top surface of the silicon substrate; and forming nitride spacers on exposed sidewalls of the patterned oxide regions, selectively implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using a low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patterned seed layer; annealing the first epitaxial layer and silicon substrate implanted with oxygen to form the ultra-thin patterned seed layer; and employing the ultra-thin patterned seed layer to form a patterned SOI layer on the silicon substrate, wherein employing the ultra-thin patterned seed layer to form a patterned SOI layer on the silicon substrate includes growing a second epitaxial layer of silicon on the ultra-thin patterned SOI seed layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using an implant energy of less than about 100 KeV.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using an implant energy of between about 20 and 100 KeV.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using an implant energy of between about 35 and 70 KeV.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using an implant energy of about 35 KeV or less.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using an implant energy of about 25 KeV or less.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using an implant energy of about 20 KeV or less.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patterned seed layer comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form a patterned SOI seed layer having a thickness of about 50 nanometers or less.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patterned seed layer comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form a patterned SOI seed layer having a thickness of about 30 nanometers or less.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patterned seed layer comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form a patterned SOI seed layer having a thickness of between about 20 and 100 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patterned seed layer comprises implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using the low implant energy to form a patterned SOI seed layer having a thickness of about 20 nanometers or less.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen, forming a buried oxide layer having a thickness of about 70 nanometers or less.